The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1887-12-31

cipl6SHlp, We are only SUdUluS WHdU We
believe to be the worlds estimate.
More than all other questions per-
tanning to my own work, am called
upon to answer these: "What is the size
of your congregations" "What is your
church membership" Not question
about its wealth or poverty, intelli-
gence or ignorance, godliness or ungod-
illness of the people, but ''How many of
them are there?" The church mem
bership of the Universalist denomina-
ton could easily be raised far above
the present record. Multitudes of men
and women are growing up and grow
ing old in our churches who are worthy
of membership and who would accept
it if the matter was but brought fire.
quently and forcibly to their considera-
| ton.
Since our orthodox friends will in
sist upon gauging our strength and
predicting our future solely upon
registered numbers, let us swell these
as we easily can, and so present our
full strength and compel them to
make new calculations. the truth
and power of the doctrine we hold
must be estimated by the size of the
church membership, then let us make
the number we can honestly claim a
| feature of our work.
II.
To me, however, this is the least i'm
portant argument in favor Of increas-
ing our church members. The strong
est argument for effort in this direction
lies in the personal need Of this rela-
tionship. The truth of God will not
perish if men do not rally around it
and confess it, but men are in peril
who ignore its teachings and live dis
regarding its high claims. There are
few, if any, so strong in the right, so
responsive to every appeal of charity
and justice, that they stand in no need
of the restraining letter and the up
lifting spirit. Personal responsibility
is saving clause in the lives of most
people. To assume the sacred obli-
cations of church membership is in
most instances to summon to ones self
an invisible guard that rises up be-
tween the temptation and the tempted
and stays the unholy word. And has
it not-the church-been this to null
titudes of poor, weak, tried ones?
Has not the VOW to heaven held them
true to earthly obligations? Has not
the simple fact that they were expect
ed to do light, to be honest, kept
them from evil?
Again church membership is helpful
to the individual and the church in
its tendency to hold people to one par
ticular organization. Where the mem
bership of the church is held, the ten
dency to wander to any other church
at the slightest offense, is restrained
and the wound much sooner and
more perfectly healed, than if out
side remedies had been applied. Most
people need to be held by force of
law, public opinion or personal obliga-
tion to certain lines of duty, and fur
ther in order to secure the most loyal
service to the church from most persons
personal interest must be enlisted. Peo-
pie will do, suffer and sacrifice for
my" and ''mineo cheerfully, when
they would not for ''you" or 'yours."
The cause of religion is strengthened
by this loyalty and devotion on the
part of its believers. The believers are
strengthened and made better by this
loyalty to religious home. AS the
patriot who has sacrificed for his coun-
try in her hour of need is capable of
loving her better than the man who
took no risks in her defense, so the
Christian who has laid upon the altar
of his church the sacrifices of loving,
serving heart, can better love his
church home than he who simply walks
in and out of the church as his inclina-
ton may determine, and shares none
of the joys and sorrows, the triumphs
and defeats that come to the religious
home.
Finally, we believe that a religious
home is as much a real need of the
soul, as the four walls are to the pro-
lection and comfort Of the body. If
the need is not realized, as many assert
it is not, be sure it is all the greater,
and argues only that the soul power
has been so long unhoused, uncared for,
that it has grown chill and dumb and
lifeless, and all the greater is the need
of the warmth and nourishment that
the church can give. But with many
and we believe with the thoughtful,
the younger element of church going
people, there exists real desire for
church home-a place where they be-
long and have right to be as one of
this number must. On the part of such
there is real desire for that closer re-
ligious life, that deeper soul experience
than is found inside of church men,
bership. So true is this that it is not an
uncommon thing for those of our own